Lilia
by x-Lozzy-x
Summary: The basic story of Chaotic Century and Guardian Force told through the eyes of Karl Schubaltz and a strange girl that escaped from Prozen's lab. Note: I don't own Zoids or Elfen Lied, from which there is a reference - diclonius . Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1: Encounter

Hey guys. Just to let you know, I'm a bit of a Karl Schubaltz nutter, so this is a story with my OC. Um…there's not a lot else, actually, except enjoy, and please read and review. Thank you!

--xxxxx--

"Is she…alive?"

"Yes. We've got equipment monitoring her vital functions, and so far, everything's been normal."

"I thought she was supposed to wake up when she was released from the capsule?"

"So did we, but apparently, she isn't going to make life that easy for us just yet."

Prozen glanced sideways at the soldier, narrowing his eyes slightly at the expression of mingled amazement and horror upon his face.

"Why is she wearing that helmet?" the soldier asked suddenly, not taking his eyes off the girl for as much as a second. The white-haired man turned away, closing his red eyes in annoyance.

"Does it matter? Just keep watch over her and stop asking pointless questions. If anything happens, let the guards know," Prozen muttered savagely, striding from the room. The soldier finally tore his eyes away and eyed the man suspiciously.

"Yes, sir."

Prozen paused in the doorway, glancing back at the man.

"How did the organoid retrieval go?"

"Everything went smoothly, sir. The organoid should be ready by midnight at the latest."

"Good." Without any further ado, Prozen vanished around the corner.

Karl returned his gaze to the young woman suspended within a twenty-foot-wide sphere of greenish liquid. Her pale skin was encased in metallic armour, from which many wires trailed across to various machines that bleeped periodically. A similar casing embraced her head from her temple backwards, covering her mouth and nose, but leaving her closed eyes visible. Her limbs were held almost in a crucifixion stance by the fluid, with her head hanging low.

Karl took a couple of steps towards the young woman. She looked so vulnerable, like a harmless animal being caged and chained. Even though he could only see a fraction of her face, he knew there was some hidden beauty behind the metal. There was something about her that seemed age-old, but something youthful was there too.

A sudden stinging in his right hand brought him round from his thoughts. He glanced down at the small cut across his palm, a memento of the part he had played in restraining the organoid he had been sent to capture. It had struck out in alarm and caught a glancing blow with its talons. Karl heaved a sigh and gazed up at the girl again, placing his injured hand absent-mindedly against the sphere.

A light flickered into life in the midst of the vast darkness. Something stirred within her, something that had not woken for millennia. There was no mistaking that aura, the aura of the Ancient Zoidians. Called by the past, she followed the voices she had forgotten for such a long time.

The monitors went haywire as the girl's life signs peaked. Startled by the sudden noise, Karl stepped back, and as the light's reflection shifted slightly in the glass sphere, he saw the pair of blood-red eyes fixed on him.

"She's awake!"

"Someone get Minister Prozen!"

"Did you say she's _awake_?!"

Confused by the chaos that was erupting in the next room, the major staggered away from the sphere, just in time to avoid being sliced apart by the shards of glass that exploded in all directions. The fluid that had been suspending the girl washed over the floor like a wave across a beach as soldiers scurried about like disturbed ants, and at the centre of the pandemonium, the young woman fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

In spite of himself, Karl found curiosity tugging at his conscience. He made to approach the girl, but even as he watched, at least fourteen semi-transparent arms sprouted from her back and tore the metal armour apart as if it were wet paper. As the helmet was ripped into pieces, a scarlet wave of hair fell around her frail body, the locks coming to rest on the wet floor. Overcome by the shock of the arms more than anything else, the soldier reeled backwards into the wall, eyes fixed on the girl.

Who was this person that was watching her so avidly? Why did he have the same feel about him as the Ancient Zoidians? He was a mere human, she was certain of it, so how did she manage to mistake him for one of her own?

Still, the aura seemed to be concentrated around his left hand. Maybe this human had been in contact with one of the Ancient Zoidians? Yes, she could see the scratch across his palm. She recognised the shape of an organoid's talon-marks instantly.

Perhaps…if this man knew where the organoids where…perhaps it would be worth sparing his life?

Panic still held the soldier in a pincer-grip, and he pressed himself against the wall as the girl shakily got to her feet. She seemed almost in a trance, staring blankly at him as if she had never seen another human before in her life. Her red, knee-length hair shifted as she raised her head a little, and Karl was suddenly aware of the two protrusions from her skull. They seemed to be horns, although they looked similar to cat ears.

"What…what are you?" he hissed, not daring to take his eyes off the woman. Her expression didn't change for so much as an instant as she took a fumbling step towards him. As she placed her foot down, her knees gave way and she collapsed onto the floor for the second time in as many minutes.

Pity began to seep into Karl's mind, driving away some of the fear. She looked so delicate, like a butterfly in a gale. Despite the nagging voice in the back of his head that wondered how easily he would be torn apart, he cautiously approached her. He had barely taken three steps when she fixed him again with an eerie stare, made all the worse by those red eyes. Apprehension starting to kick in, he stopped in his tracks. Again, she rose unsteadily to her feet, but made no move towards him. She drew breath to speak, still swaying slightly.

"You –"

Several gunshots cut her off, and Karl threw his arms up in front of his face as the bullets ricocheted off the wall.

"What?"

"But I aimed right at her!"

"Did she just deflect the bullets?"

"_Fools_!" Prozen roared, storming into the room after the squad of confused, pistol-wielding soldiers. "You can't kill her with a _pistol_!" He raised the large gun in his hands and pointed it directly at the girl's head.

Hardly daring to believe what he had just heard, Karl stared open-mouthed at the woman. She had finally switched her gaze to Prozen, and a faint crease had appeared between her eyebrows.

"You've done nothing but cause me trouble ever since you came out of those forsaken ruins! I think it's high time you paid for all the hassle, don't you?" Prozen spat as he pulled the trigger.

There was something wrong. This bullet wasn't like the others, it was heavier somehow. Even when she used all her vectors at once, the shell didn't veer off so much as a millimetre. Why couldn't she deflect this bullet? Why was it so different to the others? Weren't humans primitive creatures, incapable of logical thought? How could they have created such a deadly weapon? How could they have known that she had limited strength?

Karl's thoughts might have been temporarily clouded by the events unfolding before him, but his instinct was as sharp as ever. There was a murderous look in Prozen's eyes, and there was no way of telling if the girl had actually deflected the bullets or not. He would never be able to live with himself if he let Prozen shoot her. Almost before the minister had pulled the trigger, Karl threw himself at the girl, catching her around the waist and knocking her to the floor. Despite his lightning reactions, he wasn't quick enough to stop the shell grazing her right horn, leaving a small groove. The girl's eyes widened in shock, and a cry of panic escaped her lips as they fell to the floor together. Small fragments of bone skittered away, sending up tiny splashes of green fluid as they went, and a spattering of blood melted away into the vast amount of liquid.

"Enough!" Karl bellowed, holding the girl close to his body protectively. Prozen looked as if he were about to explode from fury.

"What are you doing, you idiot?! If we don't kill her, she'll kill us!"

The shock of the revelation hit the major like a Gustav. "What?"

"That girl is part Ancient Zoidian, so she should be capable of piloting zoids with great prowess. She should also have great knowledge about the technology behind zoid creation that could prove invaluable to us in the war."

"Then why are you trying to kill her?"

"She's also part diclonius," Prozen replied harshly. "The next stage of human evolution, born to wipe out humankind forever. They have temporal protrusions, as you can see, but they also have extra hands, called vectors or receptors, depending on the context. These vectors vibrate so fast, they're impossible to see with the naked eye, except in certain individuals with stronger wave motions. They can also cut through objects, but they're used primarily to transmit a genetic infection to humans. After infection, every child born from that person will be a diclonius. Every instinct they have drives them to kill humans. They'll kill their own parents without hesitation."

"But…" Karl looked back at the girl in his arms. Salty tears were trickling down her face. There was no trace of bloodlust in any feature of her face. "You're wrong…she could have killed me five times over before you came, but she didn't!"

"No, she was too busy laying waste to our protective measures," Prozen snarled, waving the gun at the crumpled remains of the armour. "The only reason we aren't all dead right now is the fact that they can't use their vectors when they're in a state of pain." He directed the gun at her again. "Now, if you'd be so kind, please allow me to finish my duty, or I'll kill you too."

"No!" Karl lunged at Prozen, but he was knocked aside as the white-haired man swung his rifle into his ribcage, snatching the air out of his lungs. He lay sprawled across the wet floor, gasping for breath, forced to watch as the man took aim again. The girl was once more staring at Karl, red eyes shining with tears.

"D-don't you…dare…" Karl panted, his voice barely audible. The minister turned his head sharply to glare over his shoulder, before redirecting the rifle at him.

"Or perhaps you want to die first?" he asked mockingly, placing his finger on the trigger. Karl wished he could say something, anything, but it was enough effort trying to breathe, let alone talk again. Prozen took his silence as submission, and returned to his prey with a twisted grin upon his face.

The smile vanished, to be replaced with a silent scream. A vector was placed against his forehead, and the look in her eyes was deadly.

"Why?" she murmured, her expression as cold as ice. Prozen stammered incoherently for several moments, the fear written into every inch of his face. The girl narrowed her eyes in contempt. "Then I'll find out for myself."

Karl flinched as the vector's fingers disappeared through the minister's skull, but there was no blood or screaming. Prozen's faltering ceased abruptly, and the major guessed that it was from pure terror.

Many memories that didn't belong to her flashed past. She had no need for memories; she wanted answers. Sifting through layer after layer of selfish, sickening thoughts told her all she needed to know. There was no need to find a reply to a specific question; she had seen enough.

"You disgust me."

The vector withdrew from Prozen's head without leaving the tiniest mark. Obviously thinking that his ordeal was over, he breathed a sigh of relief, but it turned into a strangled gasp as several ghostly fists collided with his stomach, driving every wisp of oxygen from his airway. If there had been any air left in his lungs, he would have cried out as he smashed into the floor. The rifle hit the floor with a clatter and a splash, and was rapidly sliced in two by one of the girl's vectors. Karl could do nothing but watch in horror. This girl was acting more and more like Prozen said she would. Maybe he had made a mistake; maybe he should have let her die.

Suddenly, the girl froze, wide-eyed.

There was that feel again, much stronger than before. It seemed to be emanating from somewhere beneath her very feet. Perhaps it was…hers?

Karl picked himself up slowly, still slightly out of breath from Prozen's attack. The other soldiers were backing away slowly, and some were as far as the doorway. All thoughts of shooting the girl had long since vanished, after watching what had happened to their minister. Cautiously, he advanced towards the broken rifle, gingerly raising the butt end. Perhaps if he took her by surprise, he could at least cause her enough pain to disable her vectors.

As he made to approach the girl again, she suddenly seemed to snap out of her trance. Karl didn't have an opportunity to curse; next instant, all fifty of her semi-transparent arms materialised, the hands vanishing through the floor. This threw the major completely; what on Zi was she doing?

The further beneath the surface she searched, the stronger the aura grew. There was no mistaking it; her zoid was down there somewhere. All she had to do was keep looking and hope that her vectors would reach far enough.

After what seemed like an eternity of passing through compacted earth, finally, her fingertips touched cold stone, then the wonderfully reminiscent texture of a zoid core.

A terrific roar from the very bowels of the planet sent the soldiers reeling into the walls, hands clamped over their ears. Karl was driven to his knees, the vibrations coursing through his bones like electricity through a wire. As he fought to keep his eyes on the girl, the ground was rent by an immense fissure, throwing up clouds of thick dust and debris. The ground was wracked with horrific tremors that weaved cracks into the sturdy walls of the room, and the greenish fluid drained away into the crevice. It seemed to Karl that something was rising from beneath the surface, something huge. Sure enough, from the centre of the fissure rose an enormous stone sculpture of some sort, semi-obscured by the dust. The soldiers that hadn't already left the room turned tail and fled, but the minister and major were left immobile, forced to watch the events unfold before their eyes. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the quakes weakened and the dust settled, exposing the sculpture to everyone's view. But it was suddenly clear that it wasn't a sculpture at all.

A zoid, ancient and clearly unused for a very long time, was encased somewhere beneath the stone that coated its once-metal panels. Almost touching the ceiling with its slender neck arched, the dragonesque zoid stood almost sorrowful, gazing with unseeing eyes upon the red-haired girl. Its four paws, taloned yet elegant, bore its weight, and its long tail was held out proudly behind it. Its stance reminded Karl of a stallion; graceful, yet brutally powerful. His gaze drifted back to the diclonius, and the expression she was wearing was shockingly deep for a supposed murderess. Eyes wide with some unseen revelation, mouth slightly open in what could have been pleasant shock, she stood transfixed before the beast.

It had been such a long time…so long since she had seen this wondrous zoid…and now, finally…finally, she could feel its immense power again…

A long-lost memory flickered into the forefront of her mind. A jet black zoid, in the dark of night, cantering over the desert sands, its potent body flowing like a river through the wasteland…for some reason, it seemed so nostalgic, as if she had some connection to this metallic creature…

Finally finding strength enough to stand, the major picked himself up and watched the girl stumble a few steps closer to the deceased zoid. From somewhere behind him, Prozen gave a low moan as he struggled to get up. For a few moments longer, she gazed up at the dragon-like machine, each as motionless as the other, until all her vectors erupted from her shoulders once more, reaching deep into the heart of the monster. Again, she was the only occupant of the room that understood her actions.

Reaching deep into the cold core, she knew that it had to be done. She had been unable to help her dearest friend, and now, after so many years, the time had come to repay the debt.

Yes…the core had begun to shudder and warm…she knew she could never have forgotten the touch of her partner…

For an instant, those eerie red eyes seemed to soften with emotion, and the faintest hint of a smile played across her delicate lips. Although Karl couldn't tell what she could see in her mind's eye, he could guess that it was something of great sentiment.

With no warning, the dust that coated the floor rose high into the air and formed a terrific maelstrom around the zoid and girl, obscuring them almost completely from view. As he staggered back into the wall, all that Karl could see was the tip of the machine's head in the centre of the whirlwind. The longer he watched, the more the stone-like covering seemed to fade away, replaced by a black sheen. A scream from behind him made the soldier start, for he had almost completely forgotten about the minister. Glancing over his shoulder, he was shocked to find Prozen shrinking back in pure fear, wide eyes upon the tornado of debris. Yet slowly, the tempest was settling down, lessening in ferocity as it began to reveal ever more of the zoid within. At the edge of the sandstorm, the girl stumbled backwards, her red hair flailing in the wind and an expression of almost maniacal joy upon her pale face.

As the winds died down, the last few streaks of sand dropped to the floor. The great black dragon moved its left front paw forwards to steady itself, stamping it down and causing another tremor. Its angular head was bowed low, the three sharp blades upon it curving up to the ceiling, until it raised its maw to the heavens with an ear-splitting bellow, its eyes glowing deep red.

Rooted to the spot with astonishment, the major watched the diclonius teeter towards the immense zoid. It ceased its proclamation and bent its knees slightly, lowering itself to the floor as the canopy atop its head swung open to admit her. She ran her hands over the blade set upon its left cheek in something almost approaching reverence.

The smooth metal beneath her fingertips was as welcome as the sound of rain in the desert. She had been waiting for such a long time to find her old friend, and now they could run across the sands together once more…

"NO!"

The sudden shout startled Karl out of his stunned trance, and he turned just in time to see several Rev Raptors stalk into the room, snarling viciously as they took aim with their weapons. At their feet, Prozen stood white with rage and terror.

"You will not leave this place!" he was yelling at the girl, eyes bulging. "Even if we have to kill you and your zoid, you _will not leave_!"

Even from his distance, Karl could see the expression on the diclonius' face. It was one of deepest loathing and defiance, the most potent he had seen. She turned her back on the Imperial zoids and leapt into the cockpit without a moment's hesitation. Prozen looked as if he were about to explode.

"Fire at will!" he screamed to the soldiers, and as the canopy closed, a hail of bullets rained upon the black dragon. Karl was astounded at the minister's callous actions. It was not a proud soldier of the Imperial army that was reflected in his emerald green eyes; it was a monster, almost comparable with the description of a diclonius that he had given.

A soft yellow light shone through the smoke and dust. The three blades set into the dragon's face had swung out, and around the zoid now pulsed a powerful shield, protecting it from harm. Upon its bodywork lay not a single scratch. Striding out of its crouched position, it screeched a furious warning to the raptor-like opposition, its back legs stretched out far behind it, tail whipping from side to side.

"What?! How did it…" Prozen's stammering faded into pathetic silence as the three blades flicked forwards, following the angle of the dragon's muzzle. Two blades at its shoulders set themselves forwards, and in one fluid motion, the zoid sprang towards the Rev Raptors. The shield became angular, reducing the drag as it sliced through the air and the chest of one zoid. As its paws touched down, the blades returned to their neutral positions and the dragon leapt sideways, dodging the shells that were blasted at it by the fallen Rev Raptor's fellows. It used the wall as a backboard, driving its back paws into it to propel itself into the centre of the room.

There was something reminiscent about the reticules that positioned themselves over the images of the zoids on the monitors. Still, there was no time to remember the past when the present carried a threat of death.

The great zoid set its weight on its hind legs and arched its neck, opening its deadly jaws wide. From the back of its throat, a single gun slid into place, and as electricity arced across its razor-sharp fangs, a ball of lilac light grew stronger and stronger. It raised its head high, almost closing its jaws around the glow, and jerked it back down, maw snapping open again. A concentrated stream of luminosity burst from the cannon, splintering into a myriad of separate beams that twisted towards their targets. The Rev Raptors were pierced by the many arcs that shot straight through them, and the screams of the eight fallen zoids reverberated around the room.

Karl had pressed himself against the wall as the dragon's attack had streaked across the room, and as the dust whirled around him, the black zoid reared onto its hind legs, aiming the two Pulse Lasers upon its back at the ceiling. With three well-aimed shots from each rifle, the roof caved in, and the dragon shot through the gap and vanished before the first sections of rubble hit the floor. Once the quakes had ended, the major staggered past the wrecked Rev Raptors, choking on the dust particles in the air.

"Major Schubaltz."

Pausing at the sound of his name, Karl glanced over his shoulder at the minister. He was picking himself up from the floor, and when he straightened, the full fury in his eyes was enough to make the soldier slightly nervous.

"Yes, sir?"

"Track her down and kill her. Now."

Shocked, Karl turned and started to protest. "But –"

"That's an order, Major."

Gritting his teeth against the flow of objections that threatened to burst from his mouth, Karl reluctantly saluted. "Yes, sir."


	2. Chapter 2: Turning Point

Karl narrowed his eyes at the sight of the figure that sat hunched on the rock. There was no mistaking her; the blood-red hair that flowed in the wind, the horns, and the black dragon at her side. He breathed a long sigh of resentment. Why did Prozen have to give him the task of murdering this girl? She had only acted in self-defence once the Rev Raptors had arrived, and she had most likely been terrified out of her wits when he had tried to shoot her. She had acted exactly how anyone else would have in the same situation, given the means to do so.

Yet it seemed enough to warrant a death sentence.

Karl dropped down next to his Zaber Fang's paw. If he had to kill her, he would at least try and pry some answers from this tangled mess of confusion.

She was lost within a sea of emptiness, a vast void that should have contained memories and information about herself. It was to be expected that she couldn't remember anything; after all, she had been in a deep sleep for millennia. Even so, she had thought that the zoid's resurrection would have heralded some form of recollection. Perhaps that reminiscent feeling had been a memory trying to resurface from the ocean of loss…

Someone was coming closer. She opened her eyes and gazed out upon the desert below, as empty and barren as her memory. It was that human, the one who had been attacked by an organoid. He posed no threat to her. She could disembowel him in less than a second if he tried to harm her.

The soldier was surprised at the lack of response from the diclonius. She had allowed him within three metres of her, and not even the zoid beside her had stirred. Cautiously, he stopped right behind her, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Not until you've answered my questions," he replied quietly. The girl slid off the rock she had been perched on and turned to face him, drawing herself up to her full height, her eyes narrowed.

"Why should I tell you anything? Wouldn't it be more fun for me to tear you apart?"

The contempt in her voice was startling for one so beautiful. Undaunted by her harsh words, Karl held out the uniform in his hand. She blinked with mild surprise, eyeing the clothes as if they were about to self-destruct.

"Put these on. You'll be more comfortable with them."

Still unsure, the diclonius took the clothes and held them up in front of her, an expression of bewilderment upon her face.

"Is there no end to the strange ways of humans?" she mused, before trying to figure out which opening she was supposed to put her head through. After watching her struggle for a few minutes, Karl decided to risk giving some advice.

"You've got it on backwards," he pointed out. The glare he received was terrible, but nonetheless, she removed her arms from the sleeves and started twisting the shirt around. When she had finally got the white top on properly, she picked up the boxer shorts by one leg and raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Karl.

"It's underwear," he told her. "Hold it so the two smaller holes are at the bottom." She complied, and after a little experimentation, managed to get them on.

"If you think I'm going to be more open with you just because you gave me some pieces of rag, you're wrong," she muttered, tugging at the hem of the shirt uncomfortably. Karl disregarded her statement completely, choosing instead to begin his interrogation.

"How did you revive this zoid?"

The girl's eyes narrowed to slits, and she settled herself back on the rock, arms folded across her chest. She glared at him in haughty silence, and Karl sighed again.

"You should know that I'm not happy with the idea of killing you," he declared. "But unless I get your side of the story, I've got no choice."

Apart from a sudden movement that could have been a reaction to Karl's words or natural discomfort, the diclonius remained motionless.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" he asked. The girl lowered her eyes and unfolded her arms.

"No."

Patience wearing thin, the soldier turned away.

"I can't remember."

Puzzled, he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. Her face was obscured from view by her long fringe, and she had drawn herself into a huddled position again.

"I don't remember anything. My name…my age…my family…where I came from…nothing's there. I don't even know how I managed to revive my zoid." She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders beginning to tremble. "I can't even remember what it's called! My dearest friend from such a long time ago, and I don't even know its name!"

Despite the situation, Karl couldn't help but feel pity for the girl.

"It seems rather convenient that you should be suffering from amnesia when I'm trying to get some answers out of you," he murmured. When the girl looked up again, there were tear-tracks down her face, but her eyes were as steely as ever. Without the slightest warning, one of her vectors shot through his forehead. The sensation was unlike anything the young man had ever experienced. It wasn't pain, but almost as if a soul was trying to penetrate his mind.

Suddenly, the girl before him faded out of sight, and was replaced by a black, empty space. Panicking, Karl turned his head this way and that, trying to find a way out of the pitch-black darkness, but there was nothing but shadow.

"What have you done to me?" he asked, fearful that she might have blinded him.

"This is what I see when I try to remember my past."

Again, a hint of sympathy began to creep back into the mass of tangled confusion. He was scared enough after a few seconds in this nothingness, but to be lost inside it permanently must be like a living hell.

"The only thing I can recall is this."

From the depths of the darkness, the faintest light began to shine, reflecting off the panels of the same zoid that had been standing before Karl only moments before. Its smooth, loping canter was beautiful to watch, even in the poor light of the two moons in the sky.

Before the dragon had taken three strides, the vision faded away, taking the darkness with it. The sudden brightness made his eyes sting at first, and he rubbed them to try and ease the discomfort. When he looked up again, the girl was still staring at him, fresh tears following the trails left by the others. Karl gazed out across the desert that spanned out for leagues below them, and walked to the edge of the cliff, seating himself with his legs hanging over the drop. The girl was telling the truth; she didn't remember a thing about herself. Until he found out what she was really like, he would have to reserve judgement. Merely thinking about killing a possibly innocent girl made him feel distinctly nauseous.

"It seems like we have a problem here," he muttered, not turning to face the girl as he addressed her. "I was sent here to kill you, but I can't do that until you tell me about yourself. How long have you had that memory you showed me?" he asked suddenly. The girl raised her head a little more, perplexed.

"It came back to me when I looked at my zoid."

"So you didn't have it when you woke up?"

"No."

Karl shuffled away from the precipice and looked up at the diclonius. Her eyes showed her curiosity, even if her mannerism didn't.

"Maybe your zoid was the trigger for that memory coming back," he suggested. "Maybe there are other triggers out there somewhere, and if you found them, you might get the rest back."

"Even if that was the case, how would I find them? I dare say you aren't the only one that's after me," she added bitterly. "Travelling isn't safe for me, and the world has changed since my time."

The soldier stood up and placed a hand on his hip.

"In my occupation, I can end up travelling around a fair bit. I can protect you to some extent, and we quite often get involved in projects like organoid retrieval. You never know, it might help to bring some of your past back."

With a slight gasp, the girl stiffened.

"The organoid that did that, where did it go?" she asked, pointing at Karl's scratched hand.

"It'll be transferred to the Imperial capital before tomorrow, if everything goes well. Why? Is it yours?"

Several moments of silence passed before the girl replied.

"No…I didn't have an organoid. I just thought…" She hung her head, disappointed. Karl watched her for a few seconds, thinking the events of the last few hours over in his mind. This girl was far from normal.

"Are you coming with me, then?"

Without looking up, the girl slid off the rock again.

"I suppose."

"Don't get too excited, will you?" Karl laughed.

"Humph."

"Well, if you're going to be around, I guess you'll need a name."

The diclonius shot a venomous glare at the man.

"I have a name."

"I know, but until you remember it, I'm going to need to call you something. Let's see…" The soldier began casting his eyes around, looking for inspiration. His eyes rested on the Zaber Fang, and he remembered the black lily that he kept in its cockpit. It was attractive, yet fragile, just like the girl at first glance. "How about Lilia?" he asked, turning back to his companion. She cocked her head to one side.

"What made you think of it?"

"Wait here." Karl climbed up the Zaber's leg and leant into the cockpit, carefully removing the potted lily. He dropped back down next to the zoid's paw and showed the girl the flower. Her eyes shone with admiration as she observed its every detail.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, touching the silky petals gingerly.

"It's a lily," Karl explained, handing the pot to her. "This flower's always been my favourite. I suppose you're quite alike," he added meekly.

"I'd be honoured to be named after something like this," Lilia whispered, still enthralled by the plant. She raised her red eyes to Karl's face. "Do you really think I'm as pretty as this flower?" she asked in a voice so low it was barely audible.

"I'd say you were quite sweet, yes," Karl replied quietly, hoping he wouldn't start blushing. Although she didn't smile, Lilia seemed to be beaming on the inside as she lowered her eyes to the lily again.

"I know I don't remember much, but…" She gave a little sigh before continuing, "…but I do know that no one's ever said that to me before."

All too aware of the burning sensation across his face, Karl cleared his throat and turned back to his zoid. "Let's go. We don't want you getting seen by the wrong people, do we?"

"Um…" Lilia shuffled uneasily, gazing at her feet. "Do you think you could teach me about what life's like now? It's changed so much since I was around…"

"I don't see why not."

"Thanks…"

"No problem," Karl answered, a pink tinge creeping in around his cheeks again.

-x-

"So what's that?"

"That's a restaurant."

"A restaurant?"

"It's where people can eat if they don't feel like cooking their own food."

"Don't the restaurant people mind?"

"Not really, as long as they get paid for it."

"What?"

"Getting paid? Being given money for cooking the food for other people."

"What's money?"

Karl heaved an exasperated sigh. "When you asked me to tell you about life, I didn't expect to end up giving you a lecture for hours on end. Money's vital in society. Without it, you can't buy food, clothes, places to live…anything. So, people get paid for the jobs they do."

"Like cooking food for other people?"

"Uh-huh."

"What other jobs are there?"

Inwardly, Karl cursed at his lack of foresight. "I won't go through them all, there are too many. Let's see…there's farming, where you grow food and raise animals and then sell them on to other people for money, and the people buying them get the food. There's teaching…and there's the army."

"The army?"

"Like me. You see, there are groups of people across Zi who have different views about how the country should be run. The leaders of these groups have lots of people who fight for them if the need arises."

"But why would you need to fight?"

It took the soldier several moments to answer. "To be honest, I don't see any point in it at all. In the end, if the leaders can't come to some sort of agreement about how to run the country, they declare war and start trying to prove which method is superior. It's like the country's being run by ten-year-olds."

"Superior?"

"Better."

There was silence for a while, but Karl was too deep in thought to notice. He had always thought the war was a bad idea, but he had never voiced those opinions with anyone. Now here he was, shooting his mouth off to someone who could be a homicidal maniac. What was the world coming to?

"But…if you don't like war, why are you fighting?"

Lilia's voice brought the major back down to Zi. "Well, my family have been warriors for years, and I was expected to carry on the tradition. I suppose I'm quite good at it too, so that always helps," he added modestly.

"But if it's that bad, why don't you go and cook food for other people?"

In spite of himself, Karl couldn't help but laugh. For someone who looked about twenty years old, she had a way of asking questions with innocence comparable to a five-year-old.

"I don't think that's really my scene," he replied once he had settled down. "Besides, it's not all fighting. Like I said earlier, we get involved with all sorts of work. Still, some people decide to join the army for the glory battle can offer," he muttered, a hint of distaste in his voice.

"You said there were different groups who want to run the country?"

"I did."

"Whose side are you on?"

"I'm with the Empire, and right now, we're in the middle of a war against the Republic. They don't like the way the Empire controls the country, so a war started, and here we are."

"So the Republic is the bad side?"

"You could say that. A ceasefire is in place at the moment, though, so there shouldn't be any fighting."

"A ceasefire?"

"It means the Empire and the Republic have agreed not to fight each other."

"Oh."

Karl relished the few minutes of silence that followed his teaching session, but before long, Lilia's voice came through on the communication link again.

"I just realised something."

"What's that?" he asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"I don't know your name."

"Sorry. I'm Major Karl Lichen Schubaltz of the Imperial Army."

"Wow, that's a long name."

Again, Karl chuckled to himself. "Call me Karl."

"That's better, it's shorter. Not so much to remember."

"Like yours."

"Like mine. I hope my real name isn't that long when I find out what it is, or I'll forget it all over again."

-x-

"Karl?"

"What?"

"Where are we going?"

"I have to report back to Prozen."

"Who?"

"The man you met earlier."

"The one with the gun?"

"Yes."

"Why do we have to go back to him?" Lilia protested in a voice riddled with fear and panic.

"He's the person that controls the Imperial Army, and he acts under the Emperor. If we disobey him, the Emperor has the final word, and that's never good."

"Who's the Emperor?"

"He rules the Empire, and disobeying him carries a penalty of death."

"So if you don't do what Prozen says, he'll tell the Emperor and you'll die?"

"It could go that way, yes."

"The Emperor sounds like a bully."

"Don't let anyone hear you say that," Karl told her hastily. "You could end up in the same situation as me if you do. He's actually not that bad. It's Prozen that's in the wrong."

"Can I say that Prozen's a bully?"

"No."

Before too long, the remains of the laboratory were visible on the horizon, lit up by the many repairs that were being carried out.

"You can't come any further," Karl stated. "I'm going to tell Prozen that I've…done what he asked, so it won't be any help if someone sees you."

There was silence for a while, and the man guessed that she was holding back a protest of some form.

"What do I do if someone comes?"

"Find somewhere to hide. I'll contact you when I get a chance."

"Okay."

As he pulled away from the black dragon, Karl wondered why Lilia hadn't put up more of a fight. He had been expecting at least a little objection. _Perhaps she doesn't trust me yet_, he thought. _Who can blame her after what she's been through already?_ Pushing the Zaber Fang into a run, he resolved to keep the diclonius as close as possible after his detour.


	3. Chapter 3: Mind Scan

"Are you sure she's dead?"

"I'm certain, sir."

"Good. The last thing we need is a diclonius running around on the loose." Prozen leant back in his chair. "You are aware of the Dragonhead Base, are you not, Major?"

"Yes, sir."

"It has recently been claimed by the Imperial Army. I want you to go there immediately and take control of the units assembled there."

"Sir, with respect, wasn't a ceasefire in place?"

The image of Prozen on the screen narrowed its eyes.

"I don't think it's your place to question my actions, Major. I act on the orders of the Emperor. If you have a problem, why don't you talk to him about it?"

Gritting his teeth, Karl decided it wouldn't be wise to push his luck any further. "That won't be necessary, sir."

"I didn't think it would be. Please depart for Dragonhead Base as soon as possible."

The soldier saluted, and as the screen turned black, he muttered several words under his breath that he wouldn't be teaching to Lilia later.

-x-

"Lilia, do you read me?"

"What?"

Karl shut his eyes and took a deep breath before he rephrased his question. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Where are you?"

"I'm where you told me to wait. No one's come by yet, it's really dark."

"Alright. I'm on my way. Over and out."

"What?"

"It's what we say before we stop talking," he replied through his teeth.

"Oh. Over and out."

Karl jabbed the button rather much harder than he usually would have done, and the communications fell silent. Leaving the laboratory at a run, it wasn't long before he reached the spot that Lilia was supposed to be waiting at, but her zoid was nowhere to be found. Losing patience rapidly, he contacted her again.

"Lilia, where are you?"

"I'm right in front of you. Look at what I learnt how to do."

The black zoid materialised right in front of Karl's eyes, startling him. The radar in the Zaber registered its location only after it had reappeared.

"Is that optical camouflage?" he asked, impressed.

"No idea, but I remembered what my zoid is called."

"You did?"

"Yep, it's the Tempest Dragon, but I used to call her Varna."

"Varna? That's a good name," the major commented. "It looks like your memory is coming back. Did you remember anything else?"

"No. The name came back to me when I looked at the moons. They're so pretty tonight, aren't they?"

Karl glanced up at the sky, and sure enough, the two satellites were perfectly round, and as close as he had ever seen them.

"I'll say." He suddenly remembered Prozen's orders. "Lilia, we'll be moving out tomorrow for the Dragonhead Base. It's not too far from here, but we should get some rest before we go."

"Alright. Where are we going to sleep?"

"I usually sleep in my zoid. I don't know if you want to or not. I've got a sleeping bag, but I prefer to be ready for combat."

"I'll be fine, thanks."

As the Zaber Fang lowered its body to the ground, Karl wondered whether Lilia really was alright with sleeping in her zoid. She didn't complain as much as he had expected her to, considering the welcome she'd given him when he found her. He couldn't help but wonder what her life had been like in the past.

"Tomorrow's another day," he murmured to himself, before shuffling into a more comfortable position.

"Goodnight, Karl."

"Goodnight," he replied, a faint smile playing across his lips.

-x-

When Karl awoke in the morning, he felt oddly groggy. True, it had been past midnight before they had turned in, but even so, he hadn't felt so tired in the morning for a long time. He stretched out as far as he dared, and was suddenly aware of Lilia's concerned face outside the cockpit. Slightly startled, he opened the canopy and stood up unsteadily. Her face brightened a little as she stepped back.

"I was starting to worry," she explained. "You didn't look like you were going to wake up any time soon. I was half thinking about poking you or something."

"I'm glad you didn't," he yawned, picking up a small parcel from beside his feet. He opened it and offered it to Lilia. "Would you like a sandwich? I got them before I left last night."

After close observation of the contents of the foil-wrapped food, Lilia took one and sat down on her zoid's paw. "Thanks."

"My pleasure." Karl bit into his sandwich and grimaced; the bread was dry and the meat barely had any taste at all. Nevertheless, from the look on the diclonius' face, a passer-by would have assumed she was devouring the best meal in history.

"This is really good," she murmured, before taking a huge chunk out of it.

"You think so?" the soldier asked, perplexed. Since her mouth was too full to reply, she nodded vigorously. Glancing doubtfully back at his own breakfast, he sighed and began to battle his way through the sorry excuse for food. _If she thinks this is good, what was she living on before now?_

After a few minutes, Lilia had demolished most of the sandwiches. Karl had finished his first and politely declined the rest, and incredulously watched Lilia pick her way through them. By the time they had started on their way, he was feeling faintly sick.

"Karl?"

_Here we go again_, he thought. "Yes?"

"Do you know any of the people who are going to be at the base?"

"I think Marcus might be there," he replied. "As far as I know, he's not the friendly type. It might be a good idea for you to stay out of his way until I've got a handle on the situation there. I need to know if the men will obey me or go running to someone higher up the ladder."

"How come?"

"If they don't listen to me, they might tell Prozen or one of his men that you're still alive, and then it's game over for both of us. We'd better find something to cover your horns up with before we get there. They stand out too much."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Yes it is. You wouldn't have to do all this if I wasn't here. It must be difficult enough trying to organise things without me around."

"It's no trouble at all, honestly. I wasn't going to leave you to Prozen, was I?"

"I think you should have."

"Why?"

"The only reason I didn't kill you back at the lab is because I thought you knew where the organoids were."

The disclosure left Karl temporarily speechless. Prozen had been right; her first instinct had been to murder.

"But I'm glad I didn't hurt you. You know…you're the only person who's ever treated me like a human. I don't remember much, but I know that I'm not a person to everyone's eyes."

"Well, you've proved that you don't always follow your instinct, so that's a start," the soldier pointed out quietly. "That's one of the first features that separate humans from animals. You've shown compassion too. I don't know why Prozen can't see it, but you're actually a good person," he added, turning slightly pink again. There was silence for a while, leaving him with his embarrassment until Lilia responded.

"You're a good person too, Karl."

It was nothing short of a major relief to the man when they reached a small village. Lilia waited on the outskirts for him to return with the supplies they would need at the base.

"What's this for?" she asked, picking up two lengths of black ribbon from the bag.

"Come here and you'll see," he replied, relieving her of the material strips. Carefully, he tied a bow around each horn, ensuring that they were obscured from view by the fabric. "There you go. That should stop people asking questions."

Lilia ran to the Tempest Dragon and scrutinised her reflection in the canopy. "What do you think, Varna?" she asked. "Does it suit me?"

The zoid raised its head and gave a low rumble of approval, before nudging the girl gently with its muzzle. She laughed and turned to Karl, beaming.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, picking up the bag containing the rest of the provisions. "We shouldn't be more than an hour away from the base now."

"Oh, good, my legs are starting to go numb," Lilia declared as she clambered back into the cockpit.

-x-

"Do you want me to wait outside again?"

"No, I think you'd better come with me. If anyone asks, you're here to monitor the condition of our zoids until Prozen asks you to stop, alright?"

The blank expression on Lilia's face was enough to tell Karl that she didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"Karl, do you mind if I do some quick learning?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Can I look through your mind quickly?"

The colour drained from the man's face as rapidly as a sinking Dibison. "What for?"

"I can pick up information from you. It's a lot quicker and easier than explaining everything to me. I promise I won't look at anything private," she added in a low voice. After several minutes of deliberation, Karl gave a sigh of defeat.

"Alright, then."

Lilia smiled and reached towards him with a vector, and as she sifted through his thoughts, he had a feeling that he would be showing some sort of empathy towards the filing cabinet when he next used it. It was a most disconcerting notion, having someone looking through his memories. Finally, she withdrew from his mind, and under the pretence of readjusting his hat, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's better, I know what I'm supposed to be doing now," she stated, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "It's strange, I actually feel intelligent now. I can't believe how much I didn't know," she murmured.

"How much did you look at?" Karl asked, starting to worry about how much she had seen.

"I just did a quick scan through for any information I might need over the next few months," Lilia shrugged. "It's all in my mind now, so I can look back at it later."

"The way you say it, anyone would think you were a computer," Karl laughed. "Come on, if we don't get there soon, Prozen will be after my blood."


End file.
